Andrew Garfield says playing the man behind ChatGPT left him anxious about using the technology himself.
The actor portrays OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman in director Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film Artificial. However, researching the role apparently did little to reassure him about the industry’s promises.
Speaking to Variety at a screening of the film, Garfield explained that he had used ChatGPT for research before deciding to stop.
“I got a bit scared,” he admitted. “I felt a little mistrusting of the technology.”
Garfield questioned whether the people creating and promoting AI fully understand its capabilities. He described that uncertainty as irresponsible, while emphasizing that this was his personal assessment.
Andrew Garfield says he stopped using OpenAI’s ChatGPT as “a fancy Google” after playing Sam Altman in Luca Guadagnino’s new movie “Artificial”:
“I got a bit scared. I felt a little mistrusting of the technology. It feels like the people who are encouraging us to use the technologies don’t exactly know its capacities themselves. That feels a little irresponsible, to me personally.”
— Variety (@Variety) October 6, 2026
Playing Tech Executives Has Changed His Habits Before
The comments echoed concerns Garfield expressed earlier in the press tour.
During a September appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he compared making Artificial with his experience starring in The Social Network, where he played Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.
Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman in Artificial – Neon, YouTube
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Garfield said he stopped using Facebook immediately after making that film and followed a similar course with ChatGPT after portraying Altman.
“I don’t I don’t really know even how to explain why,” he said. “But just the the more you know and the more you realize we’re we’re careening into some very unknown territory.”
Garfield also raised concerns about job losses and whether the emerging AI economy would serve ordinary people. He mocked technology executives for offering confident assurances while acknowledging uncertainty about those consequences.
For Garfield, their willingness to admit they do not have all the answers apparently provided little comfort.
Garfield Says He Used ChatGPT as a “Fancy Google”
Garfield acknowledged to Variety that his own use of the chatbot had been fairly limited.
“Luckily, as an actor, I don’t need it in my life in the same way that other people in other industries might,” he explained.
He described using ChatGPT for research as a sort of “fancy Google,” while acknowledging that he understood it was intended for more than that.
Andrew Garfield interview – Hits Radio, YouTube
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That admission gives his remarks some needed perspective. A successful Hollywood actor can abandon a research tool without facing the same pressures as workers whose employers expect them to adopt it.
Still, Garfield’s concern extends beyond whether ChatGPT makes his own life more convenient. His comments question the judgment of the people encouraging everyone else to embrace it.
Just Last Month, Garfield Took Aim at Billionaires
The remarks follow another pointed criticism of powerful figures from Garfield while promoting Paul Greengrass’ The Uprising.
As The Hollywood Reporter reported in September, the actor hoped the historical rebellion drama would unsettle wealthy viewers.
“And I hope that if any billionaires watch it, they’re scared s–tless,” Garfield said during a Q&A.
He also suggested that billionaires might be particularly “soul sick,” arguing that they could need healing themselves.
Will Artificial Offer Insight or Fuel More Anxiety?
There is a clear connection between those remarks and his latest concerns about AI: Garfield appears increasingly skeptical of concentrated power and the people wielding it.
Of course, portraying a technology executive does not make an actor an authority on artificial intelligence. Nor does a dramatized film settle the debate over its benefits and dangers.
Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, Tom Holland as Peter Parker, and Andrew Garfield as Peter Park in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Marvel Studios
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Nevertheless, questions about AI’s use and its effects across a wide range of industries are unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
Whether Artificial helps audiences better understand the people building the technology and their motives, or simply leaves viewers sharing Garfield’s anxiety, remains to be seen.
Artificial is set for a limited U.S. theatrical release on December 25, 2026.
What do you think of Andrew Garfield saying he is scared of ChatGPT? Sound off and let us know!
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